Your buttocks consist of three muscles: the gluteus maximus, medius and minimus. The maximus is the largest muscle. It covers the majority of your buttock and is most noticeable, while the other two are positioned higher up on the side near your hips. There are numerous exercises you can do to strengthen and tone your buttocks, most of which target the gluteus maximus and medius.
Beginner's Bridge
Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Keep your arms straight down by your sides and push through your feet to lift your buttocks off the floor until your body forms a straight line from your knees down to your hips. Squeeze your glutes and hold for two seconds, then lower and repeat 10 times.
Advanced Bridge
Get into the same elevated position as you did for the beginner's bridge. Tighten your buttocks as hard as you can to stabilize your hips, then lift one leg off the floor, keeping it straight and the thigh in line with the one that's supporting you. Hold for a couple of seconds, gently lower and repeat 10 times on each leg.
Leg Lifts
Lie on your stomach with your legs straight along the floor and your forehead resting on hands. Contract your buttock muscles to lift one leg a few inches off the floor, hold for a couple of seconds, then lower and repeat 10 times on each leg. Make sure you keep you legs straight throughout the lifts.
Side Leg Lifts
This exercise works your medius and minimus muscles as well as the gluteus maximus. Lie on your side with your bottom arm stretched out straight and your top arm placed on the floor in front of you for support. Contract your buttock muscles to lift the top leg straight up, but only go as high as you can without rocking your hips forwards or back. Hold the leg in the raised position for a couple of seconds, lower and repeat 10 times on each side.
Clam Exercise
Lie on your side as for the side leg lifts, but bend your knees forward, making sure your feet stay in line with your buttocks. Keep your feet together, stacked on top of each other, then tighten your buttock muscles to open your top knee away from your bottom knee. Open as wide as you can without rocking forward or back, hold for a couple of seconds, then lower and repeat at least 10 times.
Kickbacks
Start on all fours and lift one leg back, keeping it bent at right angles. Squeeze the buttock of the raised leg and hold for a second at the top of the movement, then lower and repeat at least 10 times on each leg. Try to keep your back flat throughout the exercise and avoid sinking or arching as your raise your legs.
Hip Tilts
This exercise targets your gluteus medius. Stand sideways on a bench or step with your inner foot on the edge and your outer leg hanging free. Keep your standing leg straight and lift your outside hip up and then drop it down. The movement won't be big, but you should see your pelvis tilt up and down. You can increase the intensity of this exercise by adding ankle weights.
Forward Leg Raises
This exercise also works your medius muscle. Lie on your side with the bottom leg slightly bent forward. Your top leg should be straight and bent forward at your hip so it is perpendicular to your torso. Lift your top leg straight up, taking care not to twist it -- your inner thigh should face down toward the floor throughout the movement. To ensure you're working the medius, it's also important to tilt your foot so your heel is slightly higher than your toes. Do as many repetitions as you can on both legs, without rocking your hips forward or back to aid the movement.
Lunges
Stand up straight and take a step forward with one leg. Lift your back heel off the ground, contract your glutes and bend your legs to lower your torso straight down. Stop when the shin of your front leg is perpendicular to the floor and make sure your knee doesn't extend beyond your toes. Return to the starting position and do three sets of 10 on both legs.
Arabesque
Stand up tall with your arms raised out to your sides at shoulder height. Lift one foot a few inches off the ground and get your balance before you slowly move it further backward. As you do so, tip your torso forwards, continuing until your raised leg and torso are parallel to the floor. Contracting your buttocks as hard as you can throughout this exercise will help your maintain your balance.
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